Immersive kitchen garden program can develop children's ecoliteracy and promote connection to nature

Modern societal trends including increases in technology have left children engaging with nature less despite the importance of doing so. Connecting with the natural environment can be incredibly beneficial, and has been linked to improvements in physical, social, and mental health. Research has also shown that providing nature education and other opportunities for children to connect with nature can lead to increased care for the natural world and helps to shape their environmental attitudes and behaviors even into adulthood. However, some children may not be able to readily access natural spaces, underscoring the importance of including nature-based activities in school programming, such as kitchen gardens. Ecoliteracy, the understanding of the interconnectedness of all life and the appreciation for human's role in this relationship, is a key result of many of these programs and activities. This study investigated whether participation kitchen garden programs increased students' connectivity to nature and development of ecoliteracy.

The study took place at a primary school in Victoria, Australia over one schoolyear. Students from three fourth-grade classes participated in the kitchen garden program, consisting of a three-hour session each week where students would work in the garden, cook, and participate in science or nature inquiries related to the garden activities. Towards the end of the schoolyear, the researcher conducted three focus groups, with seven students from each class per group. Teachers nominated students for the focus groups based on availability during the school day, and the nominated students volunteered to participate. The focus groups lasted 40-45 minutes, during which participants were asked to discuss their experiences with the kitchen garden program. Each focus group was recorded, transcribed, and analyzed for themes. The researcher also recorded written observations of student behaviors during the garden programs, took notes from discussions with teachers and collected photocopies of the students' garden journals which were a part of their assigned schoolwork. These sources were also analyzed for common themes.

The researcher identified three levels of connection with nature formed during the kitchen garden program: building knowledge and understanding of the environment; building connection and empathy with living things; and developing ecoliteracy. As participants spent more time in the garden, their observations and curiosity about the habitat increased. They also were able to make connections between the plants in the garden and their uses in the kitchen, demonstrating authentic learning. Some participants showed a strong affinity for nature through their garden interactions, using it as a quiet space to talk with classmates or reflect independently. The researcher also observed an increase in understanding of and empathy for the plants and animals found in the garden over time—for example, the students were observed picking up and moving worms around the garden beds instead of chopping them up. Two of the focus groups demonstrated an understanding of the links between individual action and the health of the environment, and were able to identify more abstract connections, such as the link between the kitchen garden and healthy food as well as environmental health. The researcher concluded that the program, in addition to successfully connecting children to nature, helped to develop their ecoliteracy.

This study had some limitations. Participants were only students from one primary school in Australia, and only included fourth grade students, limiting the generalizability of results. Also, the focus group participants were selected based on availability during the school day, which may not be a representative sample of students.

The researcher had some recommendations for practitioners wishing to implement garden programs. First, they underscored the importance of having multiple immersive activities in and around the garden, including growing, harvesting, and preparing food products. These programs should include designated times for group reflections to foster collaborative, social learning in this outdoor space. Educators can also connect other disciplines such as math, geography, art, or economics to the garden activities.